The article mentioned the book The Eudaemonic Pie by Thomas Bass. This was recommended to me back in the late 80s by my favorite professor in undergrad. It is quite good, a rare book that I go back and read every year or two.
That's something I should ask myself too when re-reading it. It has elements of: scientific heroism, science and technology ethics, the hacker mentality, and "science the shit out of it". The characters are quirky and interesting. It's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance in that it makes you think about some of the more interesting corners of technology ethics. The writing is gentle and affable with interesting tangents and rabbit holes. It's maybe more comfort than enlightenment after reading it so many times, but it's still thought provoking.
